StarDestroyer.Net BBS

I got it from http://www.eflightmanuals.com as an evaluation of one of their PDFs now that they added an electronic download option for some of their manuals...If it turns out to be good, I'll get the XP6M-1, B-58A, YF-12A, and XB-70 manuals as well

A beautiful aircraft. Way ahead of its time.

Okay, it turned out to be good and worth it.

Some tidbits:

• The water alcohol boost system at low flow rate, lasts 100 seconds and boosts thrust by 17%
• The water alcohol boost system at medium flow rate, lasts 74 seconds and boosts thrust by 23%
• These manuals are works of art compared to modern ones.
• With both types of canopy (sliding and clamshell), you cannot fire ejection seats through them; so you must jettison or else you go down with the ship.
• Successful engine restarts may be made up to altitudes of up to 40,000 feet.
• In emergencies, engines 3 and 4 must be kept on to maintain hydraulic pressure.
• "Since no fire extinguisher system is installed to combat a wing fire...the following procedure is recommended..."
  1. Cut the engines on the side of fire
  2. Turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment
  3. If Fire is uncontrollable - ABANDON AIRPLANE
• "[The] possibility of fuselage fire may be visually checked by looking at reflection of underside of fuselage in the polished inboard nacelle surfaces provided on some airplanes"
• With an automatic belt and automatic chute you can successfully bail out downwards from 800 feet in a Stratojet.
• The Fire Control system at Combat Cruise consumes 214 amps of power.
• The Bomb/Navigation Radar consumes 24 amps of power
• In order to operate ECM, you have to keep engines 1 and 6 above 52% RPM to keep alternator power high enough.
• A Specific radar is fitted for air to air refuelling rendevous, the AN/APN-76
• "When the airplane is on ground with bomb bay door open, actuation of any salvo switch to the SALVO position will salvo the bomb or bombs. The salvo circuit is wired directly from the battery and is independent of all other circuits" -- We can't have the possibility of a nuke not dropping over Leningrad because of a circuit short!
• Maximum Speed from 0 to 20,000 ft is 426 kts IAS or M0.76 (whichever is lower)
• Maximum Speed from 20 to 34,000 ft is M0.81
• Maximum Speed above 34,000 ft is the point of initial buffeting.

Bombardier's Position


Bomb Control Panel


Bomb Types Capabul of being carried

You'll note that nukes are classified as "special"; even in the 1950s, I guess for PR reasons.

Sea Skimmer says on the Special PR stuff:
"They should have found a different way of measuring yield -- like this bomb has the explosive force of fifty million puppy feet --the energy required by a puppy to go one foot wagging its tail."


Gunner's Position -- the Copilot's seat swivels to the rear enabling him to control the guns


How Aerial Refuelling was Carried out

The [formerly] Classified Performance Appendix has stuff in it that makes it oh WORTH the money:

You'll note that nukes are classified as "special"; even in the 1950s, I guess for PR reasons.

I'm never going to call them nukes again. Nowadays there can't be much that could possibly sound more ominous than "special purpose bombs".

I now have the RB-36F-II Manual, with the Performance appendix; and o my god, the Performance appendix is 400+ Pages!

Okay guys, the public performance data for the B-36F given by Baugher, et al is:

• Service ceiling 44,000 feet.
• Combat ceiling 40,900 feet.

Yet I'm seeing stuff titled:

• R-4360-53 engine power schedule at 42,500 feet
• R-4360-53 engine power schedule at 45,000 feet
• R-4360-53 engine power schedule at 47,500 feet
• R-4360-53 engine power schedule at 50,000 feet

There are also J-47-19 Thrust Horsepower graphs extending to 50,000 feet.

Hell, the entire PD section is full of refrences for operations in the 45,000+ ft range; such as: Long Range Operating Conditions at 45,000 feet, Standard Atmosphere

Give you one example:
Climbing Performance with Six Turning, Four Burning

That B-47 manual is very cool. It actually looks like it wouldn't be a pain in the ass to read; unlike virtually every other manual I've ever seen.

MKSheppard wrote:I now have the RB-36F-II Manual, with the Performance appendix; and o my god, the Performance appendix is 400+ Pages!

Okay guys, the public performance data for the B-36F given by Baugher, et al is:

• Service ceiling 44,000 feet.
• Combat ceiling 40,900 feet.

Yet I'm seeing stuff titled:

• R-4360-53 engine power schedule at 42,500 feet
• R-4360-53 engine power schedule at 45,000 feet
• R-4360-53 engine power schedule at 47,500 feet
• R-4360-53 engine power schedule at 50,000 feet

There are also J-47-19 Thrust Horsepower graphs extending to 50,000 feet.

Hell, the entire PD section is full of refrences for operations in the 45,000+ ft range; such as: Long Range Operating Conditions at 45,000 feet, Standard Atmosphere

Give you one example:
Climbing Performance with Six Turning, Four Burning

Does this mean Stewart will have to re-write parts of The Big One for the next edition? Or was he vauge enough for that not to matter now?

Vehrec wrote:Does this mean Stewart will have to re-write parts of The Big One for the next edition? Or was he vauge enough for that not to matter now?

Actually, he wrote TBO after studying B-36 manuals.

This particular manual is for the RB-36F-II; not the B-36J-IIIs of @ which flew TBO. I need to get the J-III manuals...